Provenance
Andrew C.N. Thomson, Quebec, c.1930
By descent from the family, Montreal
Walter Klinkhoff Gallery, Montreal, c.1995
Leonard Schlemm, Montreal, c.1995
A.K. Prakash, Toronto, c.2007
Private collection, Ontario
Literature: Cornelius Krieghoff, Marius Barbeau,
McMillian & Co., Toronto, 1932, Listed pg. 111.
Between 1847 and 1862 Krieghoff painted several scenes of habitants driving sleighs in winter, usually three or four sleigh riders depending on the size of the sleigh. It was around 1856 that Krieghoff began to paint his famous merrymaking scenes. It is not surprising that many of Krieghoff’s best works are of this subject for he loved a gathering of good friends with music and dancing. Such parties took place at Mère Gendron’s inn at Beauport just a few miles away from the winter playground of the Montmorency Falls. These parties often did not break up until the early hours of the morning, as depicted in On the Ice Bridge, Longueuil.
Krieghoff is known to have painted numerous versions of the same subject. There are different compositions of his well know “Bilking the Toll” canvases in public and private collections. Along with the charming subject matter, it is important to point out the composition of On the Ice Bridge, Longueuil seems to be unique as we have not found another painting sharing this similar in any public collection. In our painting, Krieghoff unites the two themes of merrymaking and habitants driving sleighs. At the extreme left of the painting you can just make out the inn where our sleigh riders, having spent a boisterous evening merrymaking, have just departed. The habitants trying to make their way home in different states of disrepair as the rider in the back loses his balance and tumbles off the sleigh while being pelted by snowballs from the boys on the ice above. Another rider holds a bottle aloft in toast to the boy’s aim while the habitant in the red toque has passed out onto the back of the driver who must be the most sober of the group.
On the Ice Bridge, Longueuil has impeccable provenance and has the distinction of being listed in Marius Barbeau’s important book on the artist from 1932. After you have taken a moment to appreciate the fine and rare composition of this outstanding work, I think you will agree it is a true masterpiece.
